Get a Free Felt Shark with Every Donation

Who knew that little felt animals could make such a difference? Christina Teng has raised over $1,000 and counting for sharks by sending everyone who donates to her fundraising page little felt animals as a thank you. Her perfect little felt whale sharks even come complete with the dotted markings on the back of each fish.

“I’m a diver, and when you’ve seen sharks, especially whale sharks, you just have to love them,” says Christina. “It’s so rare to see them, so you realize how much protection they need.” But it wasn’t until she was invited to a friend’s wedding in Taiwan, and was served shark fin soup that she realized that the shark fin trade is a real problem, and something needs to be done.

She loved the Shark Savers and WildAid billboard campaign featuring Yao Ming, that urges people not to eat shark fin soup, and thought it was the perfect way to get involved. “A lot of shark organizations are just emotional,” she says, “but Shark Savers is fact-based, so we started raising money for the campaigns.”

Her felt animals grew from her work as an Elementary School teacher, where she created them to give to students and others teachers. They were so popular that demand just exploded. “It’s my own pattern. The first couple of designs were just the faces of animals,” says Christina about her first felt creations. “But they got more complicated because whale sharks don’t really work in two dimensions - you can’t really see them.”

And little felt animals are just the beginning. Christina also has a Facebook page that urges people not to have shark fin soup at their wedding, and is growing steadily. “You make small differences and touch one person at a time,” says the shark activist. “I’ve got my whole family involved! Even the friend that served shark fin soup at the wedding in Taiwan is now supporting my cause.”

“One person can make a difference,” she insists. “Don’t be shy to tell people that you don’t eat shark fin soup. People will listen.”